Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Pirates Taking Over Disneyland

Pirates of the Carribean seems to be taking over Disneyland. As if revamping the original ride wasn't enough, now Disney has decided to redo Tom Sawyer's Island (designed by Walt Disney himself) to make way for a pirate-themed walk-through attraction. The PotC island will feature animatronic Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom. More importantly, "the opening of the new Pirates attraction will be timed to coincide with the release of the third 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film next summer."

I'm conflicted about this change. On one hand, as a Disney Traditionalist, I am saddened by the news. Walt Disney didn't build Disneyland as a marketing tool or a money-making industry. He built Disneyland to bring families together, to create the same kind of memories he had when he was a boy.

On the other hand, I understand that not many kids are interested in Tom Sawyer anymore. I also know that Pirates was a huge box-office success for Disney, demonstrating it's strong appeal, and the Disney execs want to keep the turnstiles going. (Maybe they should try lowering the admission price!!) Additionally, it's a great way to tie in to the movie premiere. And Walt also said that Disneyland would "never be finished as long as there was imagination in the world."